Local News Headlines – Wednesday, May 5

THE MONTHLY WEATHER STATISTICS HAVE BEEN REPORTED FOR THE CITY OF WINDOM IN APRIL.  TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH CAME OT 1.65” WITH MEASURABLE PRECIP ON 7 DAYS AND A TRACE ON 2 DAYS.  FOR THE YEAR TO DATE, WINDOM HAS RECEIVED 4.9” OF TOTAL PRECIPITATION – ABOUT .4” LESS THAN AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR.  WINDOM RECEIVED ONLY A TRACE OF SNOW IN APRIL.  FOR THE 2020-21 WINTER SEASON, WINDOM RECEIVED 33.4” OF TOTAL SNOWFALL.   THE HIGH TEMPERATURE IN APRIL WAS 87-DEGREES ON APRIL 6TH.  THE AVERAGE DAILY HIGH TEMP WAS 57.2-DEGREES.  THE LOW TEMP IN APRIL WAS 16-DEGREES ON APRIL 1ST, WITH AN AVERAGE DAILY LOW TEMP OF 35.7-DEGREES – ABOUT 2 DEGREES WARMER THAN LAST YEAR. 

 

WINDOM AREA HEALTH HAS RELEASED ITS PROJECTED BUDGET FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.  THE HOSPITAL BEGAN ITS NEW FISCAL YEAR ON MAY 1ST.  THE BUDGET HAS BEEN REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR WINDOM AREA HEALTH AND THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL.   FOR THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, WINDOM AREA HEALTH WAS PROJECTED TO END THE YEAR WITH NET INCOME OF JUST OVER $2.5-MILLION.  THAT INCLUDES OVER $800-THOUSAND IN FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDING.  FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR, THE BUDGET IS PROJECTING REVENUES OF $23.4-MILLION AND EXPENSES OF $22.6-MILLION.  THAT WOULD LEAVE THE FACILITY WITH NET INCOME OF JUST UNDER $1-MILLION FOR THE NEXT YEAR.  

 

A LOCAL AGENCY THAT PROVIDES SERVICES TO SENIOR CITIZENS IS CLOSING ITS OFFICE IN SLAYTON.   THE MINNESOTA RIVER AREA AGENCY ON AGING RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT THE OFFICE IN SLAYTON WILL BE CLOSED PERMANENTLY.  THE CHANGE TOOK EFFECT ON APRIL 30TH.  EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED OUT OF THE SLAYTON OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER THE SAME SERVICES, BUT THEY WILL BE OFFERED ON A REMOTE OR VIRTUAL BASIS ONLY.   DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE AGENCY ON AGING CLOSED ITS OFFICES IN MANKATO AND SLAYTON WITH ALL EMPLOYEES WORKING REMOTELY.  THE MANKATO OFFICE IS CURRENTLY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC, BUT WITH PLANS TO RE-OPEN THAT LOCATION ONCE RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED.  

 

THE HERON LAKE CITY COUNCIL MEETS AT 7:00 THIS EVENING AT THE CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.    THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE ON A LOAN THAT WAS PROVIDED UNDER THE REVOLVING LOAN FUND.  THE COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER A REQUEST FOR A ZONING VARIANCE.  THE COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS PURCHASE OFFERS FOR LOTS IN HANSON’S 4TH ADDITION.  A DISCUSSION WILL BE HELD ON A REVIEW OF CITY CODES.  THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WILL REPORT ON SOME SEWER REPAIRS.  THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE ON PLANS FOR THE CITY’S LARGE-ITEM PICKUP PROGRAM.  OTHER REPORTS WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE AMBULANCE DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT. 

 

LOCAL CITIES AND TOWNSHIPS ARE HOLDING THEIR ANNUAL BOARDS OF APPEAL AND EQUALIZATION.   TODAY, A BOARD OF APPEAL WILL BE HELD FOR THE CITY OF JEFFERS FROM 5:00 TO 5:30PM.  THE COUNTY ASSESSOR’S OFFICE WILL PRESENT INFORMATION ON HOW PROPERTY TAX VALUATIONS ARE DETERMINED.  MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ASSESSED VALUATION OF THEIR PROPERTY, AND MAY REQUEST THAT THE BOARD MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT IN THE VALUATION OF A PARCEL.  DUE TO ONGOING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, CALL BOARDS OF APPEAL IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY ARE BEING DONE ON A VIRTUAL BASIS.  PEOPLE MAY PARTICIPATE THROUGH A TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL.  

THE FULDA CITY COUNCIL HELD A REGULAR MEETING THIS WEEK.    THE COUNCIL ADOPTED AN ORDINANCE, PROVIDING AN EXEMPTION FROM SET-BACK REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW WHEELCHAIR RAMPS.  A TEMPORARY LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATION WAS APPROVED FOR THE FULDA FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND A FIREWORKS PERMIT WAS APPROVED FOR THE FULDA AREA COMMUNITY CLUB.  BOTH PERMITS INVOLVE EVENTS DURING THE WOOD DUCK FESTIVAL IN LATE JUNE.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED A CONTRACT FOR ASSESSING SERVICES.  A QUOTE WAS ACCEPTED FOR LAWN-CARE SERVICE FOR THE CITY HALL BUILDING.  FIVE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS WERE APPROVED.  QUOTES WILL BE SOUGHT FOR ROOF REPAIRS AT CITY HALL AND THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. 

 

THE WESTBROOK CITY COUNCIL MET THIS WEEK.  THE ANNUAL BOARD OF APPEAL AND EQUALIZATION WAS HELD.  ALL ASSESSMENTS WERE APPROVED AS PRESENTED AND NO CHANGES WERE MADE.  DURING THE REGULAR COUNTY MEETING, THE 2020 CITY AUDIT REPORT WAS PRESENTED AND APPROVED.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED A 50-CENT AN HOUR WAGE INCREASE FOR LIFEGUARDS AT THE SWIMMING POOL.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED A TEMPORARY LIQUOR LICENSE FOR THE WESTBROOK AREA VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE AT EVENTS DURING THE FUN DAYS CELEBRATION IN JUNE.  TWO BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS WERE APPROVED.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF NEW PAGERS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.